NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARCH 22: Denver Broncos head coach John Fox answers questions from the media during the NFL Annual Meetings at the Roosevelt Hotel on March 22, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Despite a NFL owners imposed lockout in effect since March 12 the league is conducting it’s annual owners meeting in New Orleans.

Broncos head coach John Fox believes the tea leaves may not tell the whole story Thursday night when the NFL draft opens in primetime.

And while all signs, including those put up by the Carolina Panthers themselves, point to the Panthers making Auburn quarterback Cam Newton the No. 1 pick of the draft, Fox believes his former employer could potentially turn in the day’s first surprise.

“I think quarterback is a need,” Fox said this morning. “They probably view it that way. But there are other needs that they have, so they could go receiver, defensive tackle or quarterback.

“At the end of the day, not being in that room and not knowing, I can’t honestly say, but it wouldn’t shock me if they went somewhere other than quarterback.”

Fox spent nine seasons as the Panthers’ head coach and what Carolina does impacts the Broncos, because Denver sits in the No. 2 spot, waiting to see how many of this draft’s elite players they have to choose from.

The Broncos had Peterson, Miller and Dareus into their Dove Valley complex for pre-draft visits and also had private workouts or meetings with all three as well. Fox, executive vice president of football operations John Elway and general manager Brian Xanders also attended Fairley’s pro day and had him in for a pre-draft visit as well.

Fox said he didn’t know what the trade climate would be this week given the NFL’s labor uncertainty. But if the Broncos were to stay in the No. 2 spot Fox said the team is looking to avoid reaching when they make the selection.

“I think even in the top four, there’s a player there that warrants that pick,” Fox said. “Without going into specific names … I think there are good players at the top of this draft and we’ll get one of them.”

WASHINGTON — Thirty games into the 82-game NHL season, and nearly six weeks after the Matt Duchene trade, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic discussed the state of his team before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at the Washington Capitals.